(03/42) TRENTON - The New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection is holding a public
hearing to discuss and hear public comments on the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed changes
to New Source Review (NSR) provisions of their air pollution
control regulations.

The hearing is scheduled for Monday, April
7, in two sessions, running from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8
p.m., at the Essex County Hall of Records, Freeholders Chambers,
Room 506, 465 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Newark,
New Jersey.

NSR requires existing power plants, utilities,
refineries and other major sources of pollution to install
modern air pollution controls when upgrades or modification
are made at these facilities and result in a significant
increase in air pollution. EPA' s NSR rule proposal will
allow power plants outside of New Jersey to continue to
avoid cleaning up their emissions, in spite of the fact
that these industries contribute more than a third of the
pollution impairing the State's air quality.

For many years, power plants circumvented
NSR by hiding behind a provision that exempts "routine
maintenance" work at facilities from the requirements
to install new pollution controls. Now, EPA has proposed
to exempt facilities from requirements to install these
controls even, if their repair, maintenance or replacement
work causes significant increases in emissions.

"These proposals trade the health
of the residents of New Jersey for the economic gain of
polluters who have broken the law by not cleaning up their
emissions," said DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell.
"EPA's proposed rules can have profound negative impacts
on New Jersey's air quality and public health and it is
our responsibility to challenge these regulations which
are inconsistent with the original intent of the Clean Air
Act."

DEP, through this forum, wants to provide
an opportunity for views to be shared by interested parties
on these proposed EPA rule changes and will consider them
in formulating DEP's comments to EPA and future revisions
of New Jersey's NSR rules. In addition, a transcript of
all comments offered at the hearing will be submitted to
EPA for the record.

EPA has scheduled five public hearings
around the country on the proposed NSR changes; Albany,
New York, is the closest hearing location to New Jersey.
DEP has invited the EPA to participate in the New Jersey
April 7 hearing and to present an overview of their NSR
proposals and the effect these proposals will have on New
Jersey's air quality.

The public can also submit written comments
to the US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA West (Air
Docket), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Room B108, Mail Code:
6102T, Washington, DC 20406, Attention Docket ID No. A-2002-04
on or before May 2, 2003.